Lily plant named ‘Sunny Robyn’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant named ‘Sunny Robyn’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; relatively short leaves; freely flowering habit; upright flower buds; pink-colored flowers with white-colored margins and rounded tepals; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Lilium hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNNY ROBYN’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant, commercially known as Oriental Hybrid Lily, botanically known as Lilium hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunny Robyn’.

The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new compact potted Oriental Hybrid Lily plants with large attractive flowers and good postproduction longevity.

The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant originated from a cross-pollination in 2001 of two unnamed proprietary seedling selections of Lilium hybrida, not patented. The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the resultant progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands in May, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant by bulb scales in a controlled greenhouse environment in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands since November, 2005 has shown that the unique features of this new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny Robyn’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunny Robyn’ as a new and distinct Oriental Hybrid Lily plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Relatively short leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Upright flower buds.     -   6. Pink-colored flowers with white-colored margins and rounded         tepals.     -   7. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are more compact than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are broader         than and not as long as leaves of plants of the female parent         selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have smaller flowers         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily and the female parent         selection differ in flower color as plants of the female parent         selection have whitish pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are taller than plants         of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have larger flowers         than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily can be compared to plants of Oriental Hybrid Lily ‘Sunny Borneo’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,644. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ from plants of ‘Sunny Borneo’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are more compact than         plants of ‘Sunny Borneo’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are broader         than and not as long as leaves of plants of ‘Sunny Borneo’.     -   3. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily and ‘Sunny Borneo’         differ in flower color as plants of ‘Sunny Borneo’ have pink and         white-colored flowers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunny Robyn’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 15-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands and under cultural conditions typically used in Oriental Hybrid Lily commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 18° C., night temperatures averaged 15° C. and light levels averaged 6,000 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were 105 days old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lilium hybrida ‘Sunny Robyn’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Lilium hybrida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Lilium hybrida, not patented. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright flowering plant; single             erect flowering stem with a terminal cluster of flowers;             compact and dense plant habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 45 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant circumference.—About 65 cm.         -   Bulbs.—Diameter: About 10 cm to 20 cm. Texture: Smooth.             Color: Close to 155D.         -   Flowering stems.—Diameter: About 1 cm. Internode length:             About 3 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 138B.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement and quantity: Alternate; simple;             sessile; about 30 leaves develop per plant; leaves roughly             horizontal. Length, upper leaves: About 15.5 cm. Width,             upper leaves: About 7 cm. Length, lower leaves: About 11 cm.             Width, lower leaves: About 4 cm. Shape: Broadly lanceolate.             Apex: Acute. Base: Acutely cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; leathery.             Venation pattern: Parallel. Color: Developing and fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation,             close to 137B. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 137C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape and aspect.—Flowers umbellate and             funnel-shaped; when fully opened, flowers flatten and tepals             recurve towards the apex; flower buds face upright and             flowers face upright to outwardly.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit, large bulbs will             produce five to six flowers per flowering stem.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant; pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower in June and July in             The Netherlands; plants can be flowered year-round in the             greenhouse and forced to bloom about 105 days after planting             bulbs.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Good postproduction longevity,             flowers last about 15 days on the plant; tepals not             persistent; gynoecium persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 11 cm. Diameter: About 4 cm.             Circumference: About 13 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Color: Close             to 144C; color becoming closer to 70C with development;             sutures, close to 144C.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 17 cm. Length (height): About 8             cm.         -   Perianth.—Quantity and arrangement: Six tepals per flower             arranged in two whorls; tepals imbricate. Tepal length,             inner tepals: About 11.5 cm. Tepal width, inner tepals:             About 4.3 cm. Tepal length, outer tepals: About 10.6 cm.             Tepal width, outer tepals: About 6.3 cm. Tepal shape:             Lanceolate. Tepal apex: Obtuse. Tepal margin: Entire;             slightly undulate. Tepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Tepal color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 67A; margins, close to 155D;             towards the base, close to 12A and at the base, close to             143C; spots, close to 185A; color becoming closer to 75A             with development. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 70C; color becoming closer to 75B with             development.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 4 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Angle:             About 45° to 70° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Six.             Filament length: About 7 cm. Filament color: Between 155D             and close to 145C. Anther length: About 3 cm. Anther color:             Close to 180B. Pollen color: Close to 171B. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: One. Style length: About 7.2 cm. Style             color: Close to 144B. Stigma diameter: About 7 mm. Stigma             shape: Lobed. Stigma color: Close to 198A.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:             Close to 144C.         -   Seeds.—No viable seeds have been observed on plants of the             new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Oriental Hybrid Lilies has not been observed on plants of the new     Oriental Hybrid Lily. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have     exhibited good tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to     tolerate temperatures from about −2° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lily plant named ‘Sunny Robyn’ as illustrated and described. 